


Changing Times

by SayaEvange



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-17
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-14 11:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SayaEvange/pseuds/SayaEvange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The 65th Hunger Games had changed him more than he cared to admit, but it couldn't prepare him for what was to come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"C'mon, Finnick, we're gonna be late."

"What's the big deal, Melia? He asked. He followed her along the rocks, watching her body sway as she did her best to keep her balance on the slick slabs. The waves lapped at their feet.

"You'll see." She looked at him over her shoulder, flashing her best smile. The gentle breeze blew her dark brown hair from its loose braid and it fell in wisps around her face.

"This better be worth my time," he grumbled. He didn't have a lot to do since winning the 65th Hunger Games nearly two years before, but everything seemed like a waste if he wasn't fishing.

"Am I worth your time?" She turned around, hands resting on the waistband of her cutoffs.

"Of course." He took a step towards her.

"Then hurry up." She spun and continued walking before he had the chance to reach her. Within minutes they arrived at the cove. A small bonfire was wavering, but no one was around.

"Who the hell leaves a fire unattended?" He asked, scooping up some sand to put it out. Just before he could throw it on, people jumped out of the water and from behind the rocks.

"SURPRISE!" they screamed in unison. The sand went flying through the air as Finnick frantically searched for a weapon before he realized what was going on.

"Happy birthday, bud," Kai Nichols said, slapping his friend on the back and handing him a beer. Finnick took a small sip.

"I thought everyone had forgotten," he admitted as others walked by to wish him happy birthday.

"Nah, Mel wouldn't let anyone forget. She's been planning this for weeks." Kai downed half of his drink at once.

"She has?"

"Yep. I think someone is getting lucky tonight." He nudged Finnick in the ribs and walked away to chat up one of the girls. Finnick glanced around the group as he drank some more. A pair of soft hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who."

He smiled. Her warm breath formed goose bumps across his neck. "Hmm…Kai?" he teased.

She smacked the side of his head and forced him to turn. "Pretty sure he doesn't have these." She pointed at her breasts which were hardly contained by her bikini top.

"He definitely does not."

She grinned. "So, were you surprised?"

"You saw the sand fly," he answered, reluctantly tearing his eyes from her chest. She giggled.

"That I did." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling their bodies together. "I have a very special birthday present for you when this is—."

"Hey, Mel, I think I'm going to go home," a quiet voice interrupted.

She pulled away from him. "The party just started, Annie. Stay a little longer."

The small dark haired girl fiddled with hands. "I don't know anyone," she squeaked.

"Nonsense. Finnick, this is my cousin, Annie." She grabbed their hands and clasped them together. "There, now you know the birthday boy."

"Nice to meet you, Annie." Finnick smiled at her, causing a pale blush to spread across her cheeks.

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks. Mel, why didn't you tell me you had such a beautiful cousin?" Finnick winked at Annie. Her blush deepened.

"Maybe because I didn't want her to steal you away from me." She pulled him in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "My uncle keeps her locked up in the net shop anyhow. I had to beg him to let her out tonight."

"It's not that bad," Annie mumbled. She scratched her arm nervously.

"Well, I might just have to stop by," Finnick said. Melia smacked his arm.

"Did I tell you she's only fourteen? My uncle would turn you inside out. Not to mention what I would do to you."

Finnick wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "You're enough Cresta for me, babe."

"I…I think I'll try and meet some people," Annie said, turning around. Her knee length skirt wrapped around her legs as she walked. Finnick watched as she made her way to a small group of younger teens.

"I was serious about leaving her alone, Finn."

He turned his attention back to the girl at her side. "Why would I go after a kid when I've got you?" He kissed her neck.

"Mmm, I can't wait until this party is over."

"Me neither."

* * *

"Good morning."

Finnick slowly opened his eyes to find Melia standing over him with a smile on her face. She was completely naked and he couldn't help but grin as he remembered what happened that night.

"Morning, gorgeous," he said, hooking his arm around her bare waist and pulling her on top of him. Their lips locked, but only briefly because she pulled away.

"I have to get going, babe."

"Why?" he whined, trying to pull her back again, but she stepped away, reaching for her bikini that had been tossed aside.

"I promised my uncle I'd help in the shop if he let Annie go to the party last night." She glanced at the clock beside the bed. It was half past ten. "I'm already two hours late."

He groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. "Why did you do that?"

She kissed his lips quickly. "Because she never gets to do anything. Her dad has had her under lock and key since her mom died last year."

"Well, she didn't even look like she was having fun."

Melia shrugged. "She's just shy. I really have to go though. I'll see you later." She kissed him one more time and Finnick watched her walk out of his room. After a few moments he heard the front door close and knew she was gone. He laid in bed and stared at the ceiling for a several minutes before forcing himself to get up. He rummaged through his dresser for a clean pair of swim trunks, but couldn't find any so he settled on a pair he'd worn the day before yesterday. He really need to get his laundry done, but he knew if he left it long enough Mags would do it for him. He didn't particularly like leaving his work for others to do, but he struggled to make himself do it.

He stopped in the kitchen to grab some live bait out of the small tank he kept them in. He fished them out with a net and put them in a small bucket of water. He grabbed his fishing pole and headed to the ocean.

Victors' Village was on the cliff overlooking the town and the water. Instead of being arranged in a circle like the houses in the poorer districts, Four's Village was spread out along the cliff. The older houses were built right next to each other, but they had since been built at least fifty feet apart, some even farther. They all had large windows and two to three stories with porches at each level. Each contained three to five bedrooms and at least two bathrooms. Some even had more than one kitchen. They were beautiful, but too big for most of the victors since many didn't have families.

Finnick made his way down the path leading from the cliff to the ocean. It took ten minutes to get down to where the path split. One direction led to town, the other to the main beach, and the third to the cove. He headed towards the beach to fish at the old pier like always. The herons and waders worked along the shoreline trying to catch their prey.

No one came to the old pier anymore. It had been around for years and was in need of repair, but the Capitol allowed for two newer piers to be built so the original was forgotten. Ships could be seen leaving the port in the distance, heading out to try and catch the big fish and shrimp. Finnick's dad was on one of those ships. He had left four days earlier and wouldn't be back for two more weeks. If he came back at all. Fishing was more dangerous than most realized and it wasn't overly unusual for the ships to come back missing a crew member or two or with several serious injuries.

Finnick walked the length of the pier and sat down at the end. He baited his hook and tossed it into the water. He never caught for keeps anymore. There was no point in that. He bought from the others, those that needed his money far more than he did. That's why he rarely used the trident anymore. There was no releasing a speared fish. Speared kids couldn't be released either.

The fish weren't biting today. He sat for hours, the sun warming his tanned skin, unmoving. Every now and again he would reel the pole in and throw it back out, sometimes putting on new bait. He repeated this until he had gone through all of his bait. Brief nibbles were all he would get.

The sun was well in the western sky when he pulled his pole out, dumped out the extra water in his bucket, and made to leave. He walked to the cove, following the curve of the beach instead of the path. Few made their way down here since it was a few miles from town. His feet sunk in the wet sand leaving prints that disappeared with the tide. He walked slowly, dragging out the trip to nearly an hour.

A young dark haired girl was sitting in the sand, away from the shoreline, staring into the ocean. It was the first time he had seen someone at the cove in weeks. He decided to keep walking farther down, but before he could sneak by her she looked at him.

"Hi, Finnick." Her voice was barely audible, carried to him only by the slight breeze.

"Hey," he replied. He stared into her dark green eyes. "It's Anna, right?"

She shook her head. "Annie."

"Oh yeah, sorry."

Annie shrugged her shoulders and turned back towards the ocean. Finnick wasn't sure what to do. Should he sit by her or continue on? She hadn't invited him to sit with her, but leaving seemed rude. He waited for several moments before closing the few feet between them and sitting next to her.

"What are you looking at?"

She was silent, like she had forgotten he was even there and was just on the beach by herself. He watched her, waiting for any sign of life, but she just stared, unblinking, into the distance.

"Annie?" He nudged her gently with his elbow.

"My mother would bring me out here when I was a child," she began softly. Finnick had to lean in closer to hear her as the wind began to pick up. "This is where she taught me to swim and surf. We would spend most of our days here. My father always thought it was a waste. 'Playing doesn't pay the bills' he'd say."

Finnick nodded. His father had the same mentality, but it was the same with most fishermen. They had no time to play, but the net makers and other non-fishermen had plenty of time to play. Annie's father just sounded mean.

"Swim with me, Annie." He was on his feet, hand extended for her to take.

She stared, wide eyed at him. "I…I can't."

"Of course you can. Come on." He grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet. He started to pull her towards the water.

"No, Finnick, I…" She dug her feet into the sand and tried to resist him. He stopped and looked back at her.

"What is it?" They were nearly at the water's edge.

"I haven't been swimming since my mother…it's been exactly…I'm just not…" She couldn't finish, just stared passed Finnick. He dropped her hand, finally understanding.

"Your mom was Summer Bells, wasn't she?"

She nodded, tears swelling in her eyes. Summer was one of the best surfers of her generation and had been a good friend of Finnick's mom. She often gave the Capitol tourists surfing and swimming lessons, but last year she drowned. The entire district was shocked. How could someone like her just drown in calm waters?

Finnick enveloped Annie in a tight hug as the tears spilled from her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Finnick wrapped his arm around Melia as she snuggled against him. Her head was on his shoulder and her fingers traced circles on his bare chest. They had spent every night together since his birthday a month ago.

"Finn?"

"Huh?" he grunted.

"What would you do if I was pregnant?"

Finnick bolted straight up, pushing her off of him. He stared at her, eyes wide. They had used protection every time.

"Are you?" he asked, attempting to keep his voice steady. She turned away from him.

"I'm two months along," she whispered. Finnick stared at the back of her head.

"Two months? But that means—."

"It's not yours."

"Then who?"

She hesitated. "Kai."

He swung his legs off the bed and pulled on his shorts from yesterday. They had a large strain from the juice Melia and spilled, but he didn't care. She called to him, in tears, as he walked out. He didn't stop. Once out of the house he broke into a run, continuing until he got to the cove. Annie was sitting there, staring at the ocean, a little closer to the water than before. He plopped beside her and watched the waves.

"She told you," she said softly after several minutes in silence. Finnick could only nod. Annie looked at him, his face expressionless.

"If I had known I would've ended it," he said half an hour later. "She played me like a fool."

"No, she didn't think anything would happen with you."

"Are you saying it's my fault?" he asked bitterly. The anger swelled in his voice.

"Of course not," she answered, her voice softer than before. "That's just how she felt."

"They both lied to me. They still think I'm the Finnick they used to know."

Annie shook her head, her dark locks flowing gently. "They just don't want to acknowledge the changes." She placed her hand on top of his. "Don't be so hard on them. They'll never escape what they did now."

Finnick laid back and stared at the sky. "How come I never knew you before?"

She shrugged. "You did, but there were more important things going on."

He stared at her, curious. "When was that?"

"I was the little twelve year old you comforted before the reaping where your name was drawn. I tried to see you, but they turned most people away."

"I remember that," he whispered. "You were sobbing and it made me feel so sad."

"Do you remember the net you received?"

He nodded.

"It was the best I had ever made."

He sat up and stared into her dark green eyes. "That was from you?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I wanted to help you since you helped me." She looked back at the ocean and removed her hand from his.

"Thank you," he said softly, lying back down.

An hour ticked by. The sun was almost on top of them. At some point he had clasped their hands and she laid beside him.

"Swim with me, Annie?"

"Not today, Finn."

 

* * *

Two days later Finnick headed to the fish market, a small bag of coins in his hand. He hadn't eaten much since Melia broke the news to him, but Annie had finally talked him into going to the market. He only regretted that she couldn't come with him, but she had to work in the net shop. He told her he would stop by as soon as he was done as long as Melia wouldn't be there. She promised that her cousin was at home, grounded from leaving the house.

He walked around the stands, surveying the fresh catches. He picked out a tuna and some shrimp along with a swordfish. He paid more than the asking price and picked up the tab for several poorer families. By the time he was finished he hadn't even been able to get rid of half of the coins he brought.

He headed off to the net shop, the fish packaged and in a bag slung over his shoulder. The tuna and half the shrimp were for Annie and her dad. They didn't need his help to get food, but Jacob Cresta agreed that it was more convenient than him or Annie trying to make it to the market.

The shop was just a short walk from the market, but he wanted to avoid Melia's home so he had to take a slightly longer route. It only added on a couple of minutes and allowed Annie to meet him at the back door of the shop so he could go straight up to the apartment on the second floor.

He was nearly to the shop when someone grabbed his arm and stopped him. He spun around, ready to punch whoever it was. Just before his fist connected, he realized it was Kai's face staring back at him.

"Damn, dude, take it easy."

"What do you want?" Finnick said, clenching his teeth, his fist still in mid-air.

Kai eyed him warily. "I just want to talk."

"I already know." He made to turn, but Kai grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"No you don't. Listen, she was all over me. I couldn't stop her."

Finnick let out a bitter laugh. "You expect me to believe that? I know you too damn well."

Kai stuffed his fists in his pockets and glared. "Fine, but she wanted it and it isn't my fault she got knocked up."

"Oh yeah? Must've been the fish, right?" He set the bag on the ground and popped his knuckles. "You already screwed around with my girl behind my back, just own up to getting her pregnant."

"No way! How does she even know I'm the father? I'm sure there are plenty of other fish swimming around here that could've done it."

Without hesitation, Finnick's right fist slammed into the side of Kai's face, sending him to the ground. Finnick jumped on him, pounding on his former friend's face. Blood was flying from his broken nose and he used all of his strength to try and get Finnick off of him, but it was no use. The boy on top of him was on auto pilot.

"Finnick!"

He whipped his head around. "Annie?"

She was standing just outside the back door of the shop, staring in horror. Finnick looked down at Kai's bloodied head. He stumbled off of him as Annie ran towards them with a rag. She knelt beside Kai and gingerly dabbed at the wounds. He was barely conscious.

"Get the doctor," she said softly, but there was an edge to her voice. Finnick hesitated.

"Annie, I…uh…"

"The doctor!"

He took off sprinting down the street. Doctor Mairen lived on the edge of town, but he spent his days "helping" Mrs. Lance who was widowed three years prior. Luckily, her home was just a couple of blocks away.

He arrived in just a couple of minutes and beat on the door. Mrs. Lance quickly answered and gave him a big smile.

"Why, it's Finnick Odair. To what do I this pleasure?"

"I need the doctor," he answered, looking behind her. The white haired man was just walking down the stairs and Finnick pushed passed Mrs. Lance. "You've gotta come with me, Dr. Mairen. Kai needs your help."

The doctor eyed him curiously, but nodded and grabbed his bag. He said a quick goodbye to Mrs. Lance who was upset over Finnick's rude behavior and left. They walked at a brisk pace since the doctor was too old to run.

"What's wrong with him?" Dr. Mairen asked as they rounded the corner to the street where Annie and Kai waited.

"I…uh…beat him up."

"You did what?" He slowed his pace, forcing Finnick to try and pull him along.

"I lost my temper, that's all. We've really got to hurry. Annie Cresta's with him right now."

"Do you lose your temper often?"

"What? No, I don't. C'mon, we really need…"

"I know that people change after surviving the Hunger Games, Finnick, it's okay to admit if you—."

"Oh, thank goodness you're here, Dr. Mairen!" Annie interrupted, hurrying towards them and pulling the doctor to Kai. "He's barely conscious." The old man rushed to Kai's side and quickly began to work on him. Finnick watched and picked up the bag of fish he had left. Annie was at his side, staring up at him. He couldn't look at her.

After a few minutes, when Dr. Mairen announced Kai would be fine despite a broken nose and concussion, she made him follow her into the shop and up the stairs to the kitchen. He divvied up the seafood and placed her half in the freezer. He rubbed his hands, now aware of how much they ached. He glanced at Annie who was sitting at the table, staring at him once more. He tried to smile at her, but she didn't react.

"Guess you won't go swimming with me today either, huh?"

"Do you even feel bad about what you did? You could have killed him."

He winced. That word wasn't one he handled well. "Please, Annie, don't use that word."

"It's the truth."

Finnick sunk into a chair and buried his face in his hands. They still had bits of Kai's blood on them. He was starting to feel sick, just as he had after his first kill in the arena. He got over it quick; justifying it as a means of survival. That's what one had to do in order to make it out. What he did to Kai wasn't justified. The first punch was okay. A lot of guys would have done the same thing. What happened after that was far from a normal reaction. If Annie hadn't stopped him he would be awaiting his own execution in the custody of the peacemakers.

"I was…angry," he started to explain. "Kai was being an ass and he deserved the first hit. I had every intention of walking away after that, but I don't know what came over me. I couldn't stop."

Annie reached over and gently pulled his hands from his face. She cleaned them with a fresh rag, erasing the blood stains. When she was finished she held his hands in her much smaller ones.

"You need help, Finn. You say no one acknowledges that you've changed, but how can they when you refuse to accept it yourself?"

He bowed his head. "I don't want to be different. I want to take back everything that happened. I—."

"You can't change it. You can only live with it."

"It's not that easy."

She rubbed his hands softly. "Not if you have some help."

He looked up, into her dark green eyes. "I'm a lost cause, Annie."

"Then we'll be lost causes together."

**Author's Note:**

> Please review! I could really use some feedback.


End file.
